Adjustable eraser for pencils



Dec. 12, 1950 C. R, HICKS 2,533,568

ADJUSTABLE ERASER FOR PENCILS Filed Dec. 6, 1948 Fig. 2. Figs.

2lb r/ 734 2 7 Fig-4.

Patented Dec. 12, 1950 UNITED STATES lPATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE ERASERFOR PENCILS Charles R. Hicks, Jackson, Miss.

Application December 6, 1948, Serial No. 63,819

(Cl. 1Z0-38) 2 Claims.

In another of its aspects, the present invention relates to a mechanicalpencil provided with a lower housing having a hollow portion in one endthereof, in combination with means for propeiling an eraser comprising,a rotatable actuating member including two separahle sections threadedlysecured together and adapted to rotate as a unit, one of said sectionshaving an internally threaded portion, screw means disposed in saidinternally threaded portion ior axial movement therein, and a tubularliner/within one of said sections and extending into and with its lowerend afxed to and held firmly in the lower housing of the mechanicalpencil, whereby rotation of said two sections as a unit axially, andholding in a steady position the lower housing of the mechanical pencilmoves said screw means to propel an eraser suitably associatedtherewith.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent from the following description thereof and from the claimsappended thereto.

In the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a fragmentary iront elevation of a mechanical pencil, partlyin section, and embodying the features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the actuatingsections for propelling the eraser mechanism shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing the lineradapted to t within the pencil;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4 4 of Figure l, in thedirection of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of Figure 1, inthe direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a view of the washer shown in Figure 1 of the drawing; and

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 'I'I of Figure 1, inthe direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to Figure 1 thereof,the numeral IE! generally represents a mechanical pencil including alower section or housing II provided with a central opening I2, and alsoincluding conventional means ior propelling lead I3 from the end of thepencil I6. As the lead propelling means forms no part of the presentinvention, per se, it has not been shown or described in detail, itbeing understood that the present invention embraces the use of anyconventional lead propelling means known in the art.

The mechanical pencil I also comprises a tubular upper sleeve I 4, whichis cut away at the upper part thereof to provide an external shoulderI5. A top piece I6 ts over the tubular rotatable upper section I4, andis provided with a downwardly extending ange I'I, having its end portionresting upon the shoulder I5 of the upper section I4 when the top I6 isin closed position. The top piece I6 is internally cut away as at I8, toprovide a recessed portion into which an eraser I 9 may be disposed,when the top piece I6 is in closed position.

Referring to Figure 2 of the drawing, the numeral 2S indicates aninternally threaded portion at the lower inner end portion of thesection Ill, Section I l is reduced at its lower outer end to provide ashoulder 2Gb and an externally threaded portion 2te.

An intermediate section 28 is positioned between the barrel or uppersection I4 and section II. Element 28 is internally cut away at theupper end thereof to provide an internal shoulder 2| below an internalarea 2 Ia having a diameter larger than the normal diameter of thetubular section 28 by an amount equal to the width of the internalshoulder 2l. Element 28 is internally threaded at the upper portion 2lbthereof and is adapted to threadedly engage the threaded portion 2th atthe lower end of the upper section I4. The threaded section 2 Ib at oneend portion of the tubular intermediate sleeve 28, does not extendthroughout the full dimensions of the area 2Ia.

As best shown in Figure l of the drawing, a liner 22 is disposed withinthe intermediate sleeve 28 and extends into and with lower part aixedand held rrnly to the wall of the opening I2 in the upper portion ofsection I I of mechanical pencil I0. Liner 22 is provided with anenlarged head portion 22a, and a marginal shoulder 22h. The enlargedhead portion 22a of liner 22 ts in the area 2| a in the upper portion ofrotatable tubular intermediate section 28, with the shoulder 22h restingagainst the internal shoulder 2| within section 28.

Within the liner 22, there is provided a casing 24 formed integral withor aiiixed in any suitable manner to the liner and which extendslongitudinally within said liner 22 substantially throughout the lengththereof, and surrounds an oblong screw shaft 25, which extends axiallyin the casing 24. The casing 24 is substantially oblong so that it willprevent the rotation of the screw 25. The oblong screw shaft 25 tsthrough the threaded element 20 in the lower portion of the uppersection I4, with said oblong shaft 25 being split at the upper endthereof, as indicated by the numeral 26, so as to t within a recessedportion in the lower part of an eraser holding element 2l. The element21, as shown, has a downwardly extending finger 27a which ts within therecess 26 in the upper portion of the Oblong screw shaft 25 so that theeraser holding element 2l can be readily detached from the screw shaft2,5, together with eraser I9 to permit the'insertion of a new eraserholding element and a new eraser I9. The eraser I9 is secured to theeraser holding element 2l in any suitable manner, as by inserting theend of the eraser Vin a recess in the cap portion 2lb of eraser holdingelement 2l, so that the eraser I9 is under tension and cannot be easilyremoved from element 2l.

As best shown in Figure 5 of the drawing, lead storage is provided sothat extra pencil leads 5l)` are placed within the liner 22 between theinner wall of the liner 22 and the outer wall of the casing 22. A washer3I, as best shown in Figure 6 of the drawing, is placed in position, asshown in Figure 1, between the upper portion 32 of the enlarged head 2Iaof the liner 22 and the shoulder 33 which surrounds the internallythreaded portion 29 of the upper section I@ of the mechanical pencil IU.The washer SI prevents the leads 39 from accidentally slipping out ofthe lead storage chambers which I have generally indicated by thenumeral 34.

It is to be noted that the section I4 is separable from section 28 bymerely unscrewing one section from the other. The oblong screw shaft 25,which is held within the threaded portion in the lower part of sectionI2, may be placed in its position within the casing 24, and the twosections id and 28 may be united after disposing washer 3| in place.

In operation, it is to be noted that if the sections v25 and I4 arerotated as a unit, holding section II and consequently liner 22 in asteady position the oblong shaft 25 moves axially within the vthreadedelement 2D to propel the eraser holding element 2l and the eraser I9outwardly. A reversal of the rotation of sections I4 and 28, holdingsection II in steady position, will retract the eraser within thecentral bore of the upper section I4.

After the eraser I9 has been practically used up, a new eraser holdingelement 21 and a new eraser I9 can be inserted.

Various modifications of the present invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit thereof, and it istherefore desired to be limited only by the scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. For use with a writing implement having a lower housing provided witha hollow portion in the upper end thereof, an improved adjustable erasercomprising, an upper section provided at one end with a reducedexternally threaded end portion and an internally threaded portion, anintermediate sleeve provided with an internallythreaded end portionadapted to threadedly engage the externally threaded end portion of saidupper section, a substantially oblong screw shaft disposed in theinternally threaded portion of said upper section for axial movementstherein, an eraser supporting member at one end of said oblong screwshaft for axial movement therewith, a tubular liner within saidintermediate sleeve, a portion of said liner being adapted to bedisposed in and aflixed rmly to the inner wall of the hollow portion ofsaid lower housing of the writing implement, two parallel walls fixedwithin said liner and extending from one side of said liner to the otherside thereof and encasing said screw shaft, whereby rotation of saidupper section and said intermediate sleeve as a unit axially moves saidscrew shaft and said eraser supporting member, portions of said wallsbeing spaced from the inner wall of said liner to provide a storagespace for pencil leads, and

a washer disposed between said upper section and said liner for closingthe open end of said storage sp-ace.

2. For use with a writing implement having a lower housing provided witha hollow portion in the upper end thereof, an improved adjustable erasercomprising, an upper section adapted to be rotated with respect to saidwriting implement provided at one end with an internally threadedportion, an intermediate sleeve attached to said upper section forrotation therewith, a substantially oblong screw shaft disposed in theinternally threaded portion of upper section for axial movementstherein, an eraser supporting member at one end of said oblong screwshaft for axial movement therewith, a liner within said intermediatesleeve and having a portion adapted to be disposed in and affixed rmlyto the inner wall of the hollow portion of said lower housing of thewriting implement, two substantially parallel walls fixed within saidliner and extending from one side of said liner to the other.

side thereof and encasing said screw shaft, whereby rotation of saidupper section and said intermediate sleeve as a unit axially moves saidscrew shaft and said eraser supporting member, portions cf said wallsbeing spaced from the inner wall of said liner to provide a storagespace for pencil leads, and a closure disposed between said uppersection and said liner for closing the open end of said storage space.

CHARLES R. HICKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,671,393 Zantow May 29, 19282,274,311 Wehn Feb. 24, 1942 2,356,474 Savoie Aug. 22, 1944

